In a chat with Trevor Noah on the “What Now?” podcast, Bill Gates painted a future where AI revolutionizes work, trimming our week down to just three days.
Gates highlighted that while AI won’t swipe jobs entirely, it’ll significantly reshape them.
Gates envisions a world where machines handle the heavy lifting, producing essentials, freeing people from grueling five-day workweeks to earn a decent living.
“I don’t think AI’s impact will be as dramatic as the Industrial Revolution, but it certainly will be as big as the introduction of the PC. Word processing applications didn’t do away with office work, but they changed it forever,”, said Mr. Bill Gates
However, Gates isn’t blind to AI’s potential dangers if mishandled. He’s compared AI’s societal impact to that of mobile phones and the Internet, stressing its vast reach.
“Another thing that’s clear to me is that the future of AI is not as grim as some people think or as rosy as others think. The risks are real, but I am optimistic that they can be managed,” he also added.
This prediction isn’t all talk. Some companies have trialed a four-day work week, citing better work-life balance and boosted productivity.
While Gates champions this future, caution remains key. His past writings underline both AI’s promise and its potential pitfalls.
“The development of AI is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone. It will change the way people work, learn, travel, get health care, and communicate with each other. Entire industries will reorient around it. Businesses will distinguish themselves by how well they use it.”, Bill Gates mentioned in his article published in March.
The billionaire’s message hints at a seismic shift in how we work, suggesting a landscape where machines shoulder the toil, allowing humanity more time for leisure and life beyond the daily grind.
